As reported by HSE, an apprentice was nearly crushed by concrete blocks and suffered injuries while working for a well-known building contractor. This case study shows the importance of following proper health and safety policies at all times, and the financial ramifications of putting contractor’s health and safety at risk.
The Incident:
A 17 year old apprentice had been working as a bricklayer for a building contractor in Weston-Super-Mare. The contracting company was in the midst of building 450 homes when the incident happened.
The teenage apprentice had been working less than 12 months into his career. While working, a stairwell collapsed upon him. It’s reported that the apprentice was lucky to escape without serious injury.
The Investigation:
The apprentice had been loading concrete blocks onto temporary flooring within a newly built home. The blocks were loaded into stacks of between 10 and 20, with a stack near a temporary stairwell covering.
The temporary stairwell covering was a large area covered by a thin timber sheet laid over joists. The area collapsed, casing the apprentice and 20kg of blocks to fall two meters to the ground below.
He sustained injuries to his fingers, hands, wrists and shoulder. The injuries could have been far more serious, and the incident was totally avoidable given the right steps being taken.
The Outcome:
The HSE investigation found that the joists under the timber sheet should have been properly propped. The housebuilding company’s own health and safety policy mentioned the proper procedure for such instances, procedures of which were ignored. Had procedure been followed, the incident would not have occurred.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states employers have a duty to ensure contractors are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. The housebuilding company pled guilty and were subsequently fined £800,000, with £6,240 in costs and a £2000 victim surcharge.
No job is worth risking the safety of an employee, and the continuation of your business!
For more advice on your Health & Safety and to access our risk management services, contact our partner Sentient. Avoid scenarios such as the above by learning more about Sentient’s services. Contact Sentient and talk to our team for advice, and to see Sentient’s health and safety material.
